Today's prayer: Do not withhold your mercy from me, O LORD; may your love and your truth always protect me.

Psalm 40

1

Psalm 40 For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

1

I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry.

2

He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.

3

He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.

4

Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. ^[1]

5

Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.

6

Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but my ears you have pierced ^[2] [3] ; burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require.

7

Then I said, "Here I am, I have come-- it is written about me in the scroll. ^[4]

8

I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart."

9

I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly; I do not seal my lips, as you know, O LORD.

10

I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and salvation. I do not conceal your love and your truth from the great assembly.

11

Do not withhold your mercy from me, O LORD; may your love and your truth always protect me.

12

For troubles without number surround me; my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart fails within me.

13

Be pleased, O LORD, to save me; O LORD, come quickly to help me.

14

May all who seek to take my life be put to shame and confusion; may all who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace.

15

May those who say to me, "Aha! Aha!" be appalled at their own shame.

16

But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always say, "The LORD be exalted!"

17

Yet I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer; O my God, do not delay.

Today's bible teaching: And the words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times.

Psalm 12

1

Psalm 12 For the director of music. According to sheminith. ^[1] A psalm of David.

1

Help, LORD, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men.

2

Everyone lies to his neighbor; their flattering lips speak with deception.

3

May the LORD cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue

4

that says, "We will triumph with our tongues; we own our lips ^[2] --who is our master?"

5

"Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise," says the LORD. "I will protect them from those who malign them."

6

And the words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times.

7

O LORD, you will keep us safe and protect us from such people forever.

8

The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honored among men.

Today's praises: O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Psalm 8

1

Psalm 8 For the director of music. According to gittith. ^[1] A psalm of David.

1

O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.

2

From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise ^[2] because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.

3

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,

4

what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?

5

You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings ^[3] and crowned him with glory and honor.

6

You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet:

7

all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field,

8

the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.

9

O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Today's bible teaching: The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles

Psalm 34

1

Psalm 34 Of David. When he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he left. ^[1]

1

I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.

2

My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

3

Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.

4

I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.

5

Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.

6

This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.

7

The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.

8

Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

9

Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing.

10

The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

11

Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

12

Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days,

13

keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies.

14

Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

15

The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry;

16

the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

17

The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.

18

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

19

A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all;

20

he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.

21

Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned.

22

The LORD redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.

Today's bible teaching: No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence.

Psalm 101

1

Psalm 101 Of David. A psalm.

1

I will sing of your love and justice; to you, O LORD, I will sing praise.

2

I will be careful to lead a blameless life-- when will you come to me? I will walk in my house with blameless heart.

3

I will set before my eyes no vile thing. The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me.

4

Men of perverse heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with evil.

5

Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret, him will I put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, him will I not endure.

6

My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; he whose walk is blameless will minister to me.

7

No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence.

8

Every morning I will put to silence all the wicked in the land; I will cut off every evildoer from the city of the LORD.

Today's prayer: Rise up, O LORD, confront them, bring them down; rescue me from the wicked by your sword

Psalm 17

1

Psalm 17 A prayer of David.

1

Hear, O LORD, my righteous plea; listen to my cry. Give ear to my prayer-- it does not rise from deceitful lips.

2

May my vindication come from you; may your eyes see what is right.

3

Though you probe my heart and examine me at night, though you test me, you will find nothing; I have resolved that my mouth will not sin.

4

As for the deeds of men-- by the word of your lips I have kept myself from the ways of the violent.

5

My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not slipped.

6

I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer.

7

Show the wonder of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes.

8

Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings

9

from the wicked who assail me, from my mortal enemies who surround me.

10

They close up their callous hearts, and their mouths speak with arrogance.

11

They have tracked me down, they now surround me, with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.

12

They are like a lion hungry for prey, like a great lion crouching in cover.

13

Rise up, O LORD, confront them, bring them down; rescue me from the wicked by your sword1.

14

O LORD, by your hand save me from such men, from men of this world whose reward is in this life. You still the hunger of those you cherish; their sons have plenty, and they store up wealth for their children.

15

And I--in righteousness I will see your face; when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.

Today's prayer: Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless

Psalm 60

1

Psalm 60 For the director of music. To [the tune of] "The Lily of the Covenant." A miktam ^[1] of David. For teaching. When he fought Aram Naharaim ^[2] and Aram Zobah, ^[3] and when Joab returned and struck down twelve thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.

1

You have rejected us, O God, and burst forth upon us; you have been angry--now restore us!

2

You have shaken the land and torn it open; mend its fractures, for it is quaking.

3

You have shown your people desperate times; you have given us wine that makes us stagger.

4

But for those who fear you, you have raised a banner to be unfurled against the bow. Selah

5

Save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered.

6

God has spoken from his sanctuary: "In triumph I will parcel out Shechem and measure off the Valley of Succoth.

7

Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet, Judah my scepter.

8

Moab is my washbasin, upon Edom I toss my sandal; over Philistia I shout in triumph."

9

Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom?

10

Is it not you, O God, you who have rejected us and no longer go out with our armies?

11

Give us aid against the enemy, for the help of man is worthless.

12

With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies.